Life Goes On
by TheOtherWeasley03
Summary: Lily Evans is getting ready to enter her 7th year at Hogwarts - she's Head Girl, has a great group of friends, and a surprising new love interest... Or does she? Between school, relationships, and an oncoming war, Lily Evans has reached the point where she knows that despite it all, Life Goes On.
1. Chapter 1

To say that Lily was upset summer was ending would be a lie. A bold faced lie. How could she be upset summer was finally, mercifully coming to a close? In the matter of a week she would escape this hell-scape and head home; well, her home away from home. Hogwarts. While this summer had initially started out as amazing as Lily had hoped, things had quickly taken a turn for the worse – in the matter of a month Petunia had become engaged to a walrus-sized human being, Vernon Dursely, her old friend Severus Snape had taken to sending her letters of apology (that were about a year too late) and was constantly trying to talk to Lily while she was out of the house. In fact, just last week, Lily and her mother, Rose, had been out doing some light grocery shopping when Lily was cornered by her old friend in the frozen foods section. A section already uncomfortable because of how cold it was, but made further uncomfortable by being cornered by a one-time-friend and having to act like it wasn't emotionally, mentally or physically painful to stand there and talk to him because her mother was watching. And, let's keep it real, as far as Lily was concerned, there were just some things her mom didn't need to know about. For example: How Severus Snape, her childhood best friend, had managed to degrade her in front of the entire school by calling her a mudblood.

"_Lily, please, can we just talk for a minute?"_

"_Sev. I don't have time for this – my mum is waiting for me, she's already watching us over there. Please, don't make a scene…" Lily eyed her mother warily from across the aisle and tried to shoot her a small grin – one thing Lily had never gotten around to explaining to her mum was the dissolution of her friendship with Severus._

"_We need to talk. I've apologized so many times! Have you been getting my letters?" Severus pressed on, getting increasingly closer to Lily._

"_Yes. I have. And, honestly, you don't need to send them. I know you're sorry for what you said, but it really hurt. And it's not the kind of hurt that goes away. I've already told you I've forgiven you, can you please just let it go? Leave me alone. Stop looking for me around town. Stop writing me."_

_Severus' face looked strained as it constricted with emotion he was clearly struggling to keep hidden. "Lily, you know you're my best friend!"_

"_No, I was your best friend. Past tense. I have to go now. Have a good rest of summer." Lily started to inch away from Severus, looking to her mother with a reassuring, easy smile._

_Severus reached out quickly, like a snake striking his victim, and wrapped his hand around her elbow. "You have to hear me out! Things can go back to the way they were!"_

_Lily dropped her easy-going mask and a hard, stony look took over her features. This was her 'prefect Lily' face – or, as her roommates so lovingly referred to it: Lily's Bitch Face - "You need to listen to me Sev, and really hear me this time. Because I'm not going to explain this again. Just because I've forgiven you, does not mean I will ever forget what you said to me. You were my best friend, but then you threw that all away and degraded me in front of the entire school. And for what reason? Because some petty idiots were embarrassing you!? I was defending you, I was trying to help you! And what did I get in return? I got a nasty name thrown in my face." Lily crossed her arms across her chest, breathing heavily with anger. "I was humiliated. For years, years Sev, I told my house friends that you were kind and sweet, and not nearly as cruel as you could come across. I told them how you'd always looked out for me, and helped me understand what I was before I ever got a Hogwarts letter. But you ruined it. You ruined everything."_

_Severus' face was a blank expression, as though he'd just been slapped, but his eyes showed everything. They weren't hardened with anger or brimming with tears, but they had a look to them that Lily couldn't help but associate with her early years of friendship to Severus – the years when he'd come to her house when his parents were fighting, or when he'd been laughed at in classes because of his hooked nose and eternally greasy hair. Years of friendship, Lily reasoned, had been destroyed that day in fifth year, but she couldn't stand to see Severus look so defeated._

"_You know, if you ever really need me, I will be there for you. But this," Lily gestured between herself and Severus, "this is not you really needing me. This is you feeling bad for yourself and missing having someone to talk to, and hang out with." Lily noticed the hard, glazed look Severus' eyes had taken on, and again began to walk away. "I'll see you at Kings Cross, Sev. Have a good end of summer." And with that, Lily walked briskly away towards her mother, linked her arm with Roses' and tried her best to shake off the nagging feeling that maybe Severus really did need her._

That's not to say that Lily wasn't a very forgiving person. Most of her friends would argue that she was among the kindest, generous, and vivacious people to have ever graced the halls of Hogwarts. But, during her time at Hogwarts Lily had come to realize that people change, and some friendships just aren't meant to survive. It was a sad realization, but one she could apply to other parts of her life: her relationship with her sister, and even the Marauders.

The Marauders were an interesting subject for Lily – growing up James Potter and Sirius Black, the group's ringleaders, had actively tried to make her life a living hell. And, once puberty struck, all bets were off. James, a handsome, talented Quidditch player, excellent student, and class clown, had taken a special interest in Lily around the end of fourth year. Before that, she'd often caught him staring at her across classrooms, as though lost in a daydream, but it wasn't until the end of fourth year that she began to suspect that maybe he fancied her. Suddenly, he was reminding her of Quidditch games and house parties – even inviting her to hang out with him and his friends during Hogsmead weekend visits – and while she never went along (her best friend harbored an undying hatred for one Sirius Black and would have held it against her for the rest of Lily's natural life) the invitations left an impact. The mean prankster she had gone so far out of her way to avoid during her first four years at Hogwarts, was suddenly not so mean.

But then fifth year came and a cocky attitude had replaced the old, inviting demeanor Lily had come to expect from James. Suddenly, Severus was complaining that James and his friends had spread a nasty, new nickname for him (enter "Snivellus") and were picking fights with him and other Slytherin students in the hallway. James had taken to asking her out in front of audiences, often going to lengths to embarrass her ("Why not Lily? Why not give a fella a bleedin' chance? Does Snape need you to stay in and braid his greasy hair?") and Lily's opinion of James nose-dived.

It wasn't until the end of sixth year that James seemed to take a step back from being a cocky arse. Lily no longer heard reports from other prefects of James and his friends picking fights with students from other houses, or attacking Severus Snape between classes; he had grown up and she had no clue what triggered it. Suddenly, James' fourth year self had reemerged from the dead and he was back to being polite and inviting. Yet again, Lily had to recognize that people change – some for the better, others for the worse – and that James Potter was clearly among those who had changed… Even if he had changed, changed back, and then changed again. By the end of sixth year Lily had come to call James a "friendly acquaintance," or at least that's how she referred to him when her friends would ask her what, exactly, was going on between the pair.

Lily's friend Olympia, a pure-blood whose tolerance of Sirius Black was so low that Lily was sure the pair would never be civil, was always reminding her:_ "Friendly acquaintances don't offer to hold your books while walking with you to class. For Merlin's sake, I'm your best friend and I sure as hell don't hold your books unless you need to pick something up – and even then, I don't offer." _But Lily just tried to smile and let the comments roll off her shoulders; James was known for dating around, and while he never seemed to have one, specific girlfriend, it was too outlandish to believe that his change of attitude had anything to do with having a romantic interest in her. Yes, Lily would often remind herself: he's attractive in a really hot way, and smart, and sexy, and increasingly kind – but he hadn't asked her out since the end of fifth year, and she was sure that meant something.

Lily shook her head as she looked around her room and reminded herself of all the packing she had left; James had sent her a few letters over the course of the summer, all friendly and conversational in tone; the last letter to arrive invited her to a pool party at his family's home in two days time. Ollie (Olympia's nickname) and Lily's two other friends, Alice and Marlene, had already owled Lily and asked if she had gotten an invitation as well; it would seem that this pool party would be for the entire incoming seventh year Gryffindor class, with a few lucky school mates from other houses and the entire Gryffindor house Quidditch team invited as well. It was exciting and Lily was really looking forward to it – she had already asked Ollie to come over later to help her pick out her outfit and, of course, so the pair could catch up on their gossip. As much as Lily hated to admit it, she wanted to look good; it was the first time she'd be seeing James since the school year had ended and while she was shy to admit it, she hoped that this would be the year he'd take a romantic interest in her, so long as he didn't start acting like a complete arse again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ollie arrived exactly when she said she would, exactly how she said she would…

Via an owl delivered letter 2 days before: _Oh, Lily. You know I'll be over at 5pm, making my usual grand entrance. With my usual flair – Consider warning your dad this time! Xoxo Ollie_

Truer words could not have been written because at 5pm, on the dot, Olympia Davenport burst from the Evans' fireplace/floo-connected network and into their living room, scaring the hell out of Lily's father (whom she had forgotten to warn) who was watching the evening news with his usual glass of brandy and, of course, Lily's mother who was reviewing Petunia's wedding guest list. As the glass of brandy fell to floor and Rose Evans let out a startled yelp as the stack of papers Petunia had precariously perched on the sofa's armrest began their slow descent to the floor, Olympia Davenport beamed proudly, proclaimed she had "Stuck the landing!", and flung her wand about in a grand sweep, thus suspending all falling objects in the air for the time being.

"Mr. Evans. Lovely to see you again, sir," Ollie stated formally as she jumped into action sweeping the glass of brandy out of the air and placing it back in Mr. Evans' outstretched hand, smirking at the gob smacked look on his face. "Mrs. Evans? All good?" Ollie continued on, as she grabbed haphazardly at the stack of papers previously fluttering to the ground, but presently suspended in a standstill.

Rose Evans, seemingly shaken out of her magic-induced stupor, smiled lovingly at Ollie as she stood up to help collect the papers from midair.

"Darling, I simply can't understand how you and Lily can do things like this… And all with a sweep of your wand." Rose sighed longingly once she'd collected all of her documents and was putting her arms around Olympia in a welcoming hug – before pulling back whispering, "Don't tell, but I'm actually quite jealous!"

"Oh Mrs. Evans… You can be jealous of this all you want, but I'm jealous Lily gets your tasty cooking all to herself for a whole summer! She brags about your strawberry shortcake, you know?"

Rose looked pleased and brushed Ollie's hair off of her shoulders. "Dear, you simply get more stunning each time I see you. But go, run on up to Lil's room – top of the stairs to the right. I'm sure she's stilly tidying up, trying to make that bomb of a room look presentable," Rose chuckled as she sat back down. Once Ollie was out of earshot and clearly up the stairs by the sound of her footsteps Rose glanced over at her husband, William.

"Bill, honestly, the girl arrives like that nearly every time she visits via the fires place. You could at least say 'hello,' – she probably thinks you're a mute."

"A mute?! Well, excuse me for being caught off guard when a teenage girl appears in our fireplace, surrounded by green flames that look as though they're engulfing her, jumps out onto our carpet proclaiming she 'stuck the landing' and proceeds to freeze time. I don't know why I'd sit here in shock. Not like I see that every day." William huffed happily as he glanced over his at his wife, his usual happy, charming smile falling naturally back into place. "Think she could do the dishes before she heads out? That'll take, what? Two, three swishes of that wand?"

"Oh, Will…" Rose sighed.

Upstairs Lily sighed as she shifted through more of her clothes, trying – and failing – to neatly fold each article so it would fit into a trunk that, she was convinced, her closet had outgrown. (And yes, she reminded herself, she could always shrink the clothes for the journey and enlarge them again at Hogwarts but some things were better done the muggle way.) Now at 17, instead of having her usual school uniforms, Gryffindor apparel for the school Quidditch matches, and occasional down-town outfit for Hogsmead weekends, Lily was doing her best to fit in every outfit she could possibly imagine needing. This was it, after all. This was her last year at Hogwarts to have fun, make a lasting impression on her peers, and be seen as more than the nerdy, up-tight prefect she knew others often saw when they studied her. This was basically her senior year (if she could give it a muggle term)!

Lily reminded herself as she studied a particularly party-friendly top, that while this year was, inevitably, going to be a heavy workload with lots of Heads duties, it was also her last big chance to have fun before hitting adulthood and finding a solid job in the wizarding world. And most importantly it was her last big chance to have crazy parties with roommates and (hopefully) other boys in her year… And in her house.

Lily smiled slightly as her mind drifted to James Potter, wondering dangerously about what exactly he would look like in swim trunks. While Lily had often admired his physique during Hogwarts' Quidditch games (not that anyone needed to know this!) she had yet to see him shirtless. She could imagine how toned his arms were from throwing a quaffle back and forth with Sirius over the summer vacation, and how chiseled his abs would look from all of the core work riding a broom entailed.

"Oh Merlin. Wipe that stupid smirk off your face!" Lily blanched as her head whipped around at the sudden, dream shattering, remark coming from her doorway. "Who are you picturing at this pool party? You're almost drooling." Olympia laughed as she launched herself forward to wrap Lily in a tight, warm hug. "It's been too long Lilykins. You really should have come to Paris with my family and me, honestly! I was positively bored without you telling me about all of that muggle architecture."

Lily beamed as she stepped out of the hug, holding Ollie's hands but keeping her at an arms length. "Well you look like a positive dream! Summering in France certainly did you well!" Olympia smiled broadly as she twirled around Lily's bed, her white, pleated chiffon skirt billowing up and around her toned and tanned legs.

"What can I say? Paris, the city of love!"

"No!" Lily laughed, "Did love find you in France? The boys of Hogwarts will be devastated!" Lily feigned a dramatic faint as she flopped onto her bed, one hand under her chin as she grinned up at her best friend – the friend she knew she could count on through thick and thin, through late night talks, break ups, burgeoning romances, and drunken nights.

"Not quite," Ollie smirked as she smoothed her skirt and sat on Lily's bed, leaning back on one arm as she admired some of the clothes Lily had yet to fold. "A few lads staying at the hotel seemed to be quite smitten with me, but nothing happened there. But," a twinkle took over Ollie's eyes, "there was a boy I met at a pastry shop who was quite lovely. He saw me struggling to tell the counter-girl what I was looking to get – French is so hard - and he stepped in to assist. Turns out his name was Avery and while he's from France, he was only home for a summer holiday before returning to school in America."

"So he was muggle?" Lily smiled.

"I suppose so… It's so hard to tell sometimes. I mean, I was in a wizarding district when I met him, but it's not like the wizarding areas are here; in France they're not private. You don't need to find a brick wall and tap it a certain way, you just find someone in the know, and they'll tell you which neighborhoods and more metropolitan areas are frequented by wizards. Of course, that also means no one's doing magic in broad daylight, and no one really talks about anything too obviously wizarding, but if you know where you are and who you're around you can usually catch who's magical."

"How so?"

"Well, when I was shopping with my mum we were in one of those metropolitan areas that has a largely muggle population; but, as we were walking, we saw a few wizards with copies of what would be the French equivalent of the Daily Prophet, and we even heard someone recounting when they were younger and had met Dumbledore…" Olympia posed, thoughtfully, "I think it's really a matter of just no one being very open about being magical; wizards and muggles just go through life right next to each other… But the muggles, of course, have no idea. But, anyway, back to Avery… He never gave an indication that he was a wizard, so I certainly wasn't going to ask him and blow his mind, or have him think I was some nut job who escaped England and runs around spouting stories about witchcraft. So, I just kind of let it end where it began. We met up a few times for meals, and he took me to some nice museums and to see the sights." Ollie closed her eyes as she laid down on the bed. "He was sweet and so, so, so funny – he kind of made me wish he was my boyfriend."

"Hey now," Lily smiled, shoulder bumping Ollie, "this coming from the girl who hates relationships?"

"I don't know what to say!" Ollie laughed as she shook her blonde hair out of her eyes and began sitting up, "It was nice to have a sweet guy care about what I liked and wanted. It'd probably be nice to have that all the time…"

"But?"

"But the boys in our year at Hogwarts are absolute toads. Good looking toads but ultimately major assholes whose sole useful quality is throwing a good summer party." Olympia began pulling her blonde her into a loose bun and sifting through the pile of bathing suits towards the foot of Lily's bed. "Now, fill me in. What exactly are we going for with this bathing suit? Quietly stunning? Ocean goddess? Prefect gone rogue?" Ollie laughed.

Lily laughed along, but not quite as loud – something Olympia picked up on right away, turning to see Lily's thoughtful eyes as she stared at her suitcase.

"What is it Lils?"

"I just want this party to be the start of a really great, fun year."

"It will be!"

"No, you don't get it." Lily looked up at her friend who was staring concernedly at her. "I've spent the past six years working hard to prove myself to everyone around me. For six years I was focused on grades and rules and responsibilities. But now, this year is kind of it. I want it to be fun and adventurous… I feel like others don't see me the way my friends do…" Lily trailed off, sitting on the side of her bed, running a hand through her long, wavy red hair.

"I think I understand what you're saying. And you're right. Of all of us, you've certainly been the most academically driven, but we have certainly seen a side of you that, probably, no one else at Hogwarts ever has. I mean, you're hilarious and sweet and sarcastic and witty and I think I get what you're saying: You want this to be the year you get to show off that side of you."

"How is it that you always seem to get it?" Lily smiled as she leaned in to side-hug her friend.

"I'm brilliant. And I think you might have been on to something with having me over to discuss swimwear. After all, if you're going to make an impression, a bikini is a great place to start."


End file.
